MC Library Research Guides: Artificial Intelligence: Concerns & Considerations

Concerns & Considerations

Bias can be built into AI tools when they learn from data and text that contain errors or distortions that reinforce inequalities in society.

The AI Inspector A PhD student exposes bias in the huge data sets that train AI systems. From Wired Magazine in 2023.
Black Artists See Clear Bias in A.I. New York Times, 05 July 2023
The Coded Gaze The Coded Gaze mini documentary follows "Poet of Code", Joy Buolamwini's personal frustrations with facial recognition technologies.
Towards a standard for identifying and managing bias in artificial intelligence A 2022 report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Artificial Intelligence Bain & Company, Inc. AI overview

Chatbots can accidentally create plausible answers that are false. The New York Times reported in November 2023 that these 'hallucinations' can happen in 3% to 30% of generative AI queries. See the article links below for more information.

Also, when ChatGPT generates citations, it may create links to sources that are not real. For example, a real author might be attached to a made-up journal, or an actual title will be listed next to the wrong facts, with the wrong dates.

Chatbots May 'Hallucinate' More Often Than Many Realize New York Times, 6 November 2023
AI 'hallucinates.' Some researchers worry it can't be fixed The Washington Post, 31 May 2023
When Chatbots 'Hallucinate' New York Times, 8 May 2023
Why Does AI Hallucinate MIT Technology Review 2024
Will ChatGPT Do More Harm Than Good?: A Debate A panel discussion from June 2023 presented by the Intelligence Squared podcast.

Hallucinations by ChatGPT and other generative models are accidental. But AI images, audio, and text can also be created with the intention of providing false information. See the links below for more information:

True or False About AI-driven disinformation. From Wired magazine in 2023
How to Stop AI Deepfakes from Sinking Society — and Science Nature magazine news, September 2023.
Your Lying Eyes From the New Yorker, 2023. People now use A.I. to generate fake videos indistinguishable from real ones. How much does it matter?

Research Skills & Tips:

Chatbots and other forms of AI use large amounts of processing power. As the technology expands, carbon emissions may rise. The articles here discuss these concerns and potential solutions.

Aligning artificial intelligence with climate change mitigation A research paper from Nature Climate Change about measuring and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions from AI and machine learning.
Generative AI's Dirty Secret Upgrading search engines with chatbots will raise carbon emissions significantly. Wired Magazine, May 2023.
Insatiable Appetite for Energy Soaring electricity demands of data centers and A.I. are straining the grid in some areas, pushing up emissions and slowing the energy transition.
The AI boom may unleash a global surge in electronic waste Washington Post, October 2024

Exploitation of Workers:

Many AI tools function at the expense of underpaid workers in the United States and around the world.

What will AI mean for economic inequality? Prominent AI researchers expect the arrival of artificial general intelligence anywhere between "the next couple of years" and "possibly never." At the same time, leading economists disagree about the potential impact of AI: Some anticipate a future of perpetually accelerating productivity, while others project more modest gains. But most experts agree that technological advancement, however buoyant, is no guarantee that everyone benefits. And unfortunately, even though some of the most notable AI R&D efforts declare that making sure everyone benefits is a key goal or guiding principle, ensuring that AI helps create a more inclusive future remains one of the least invested in areas of AI governance.
The Exploited Labor Behind Artificial Intelligence Low-income workers around the world are driving the creation of artificial intelligence systems. From Noema magazine.

Intellectual Property:

AI has raised concerns over intellectual property especially in art, music, and film industries.

AI Music: What Musicians Need to Know Berklee College of Music explores the topic of AI in music both the positives and negatives.
Artificial Intelligence in the Music World Levine Music discusses AI in the music industry and how it has transformed listening and composition of music.
The Impact of Generative AI on Hollywood and Entertainment MIT Sloan Management Review discusses how AI is impacting the entertainment industry.
Artificial Intelligence and the Entertainment Industry voice acting industry, rising talent, deceased celebrities, and people who have created content in the past can all be victims of AI if laws aren’t created to protect them.

The groups below are studying the ethical implementation of AI technology. Other groups on this list are working to change AI policy or pioneering more ethical uses of the technology.

HAI: Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence The Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) works to advance AI research, education, policy and practice to improve the human condition.
The AI Index Report: Measuring Trends in Artificial Intelligence Stanford University - Human Centered Artificial Intelligence
RAISE: Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education An initiative at MIT to innovate learning and education in the era of AI.
The Black GPT: Introducing The AI Model Trained With Diversity And Inclusivity In Mind An October 2023 article from People of Color in Tech about Latimer(a large language model trained with diverse histories and inclusive voices.)
UNESCO Recommendations on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence Policy recommendations from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
6 Big Questions for Generative AI MIT Technology Review, 2024. We're still riding the generative-AI wave, but the technology's future—and ours—will be shaped by what we do next.

Poll

What is your biggest concern about the future of artificial intelligence?

Bias

Chatbots giving the wrong answer

Bad actors creating false content

Environmental impacts

Labor impacts

Something else

I don't have any concerns about AI

Bias: 2 votes (14.29%)

Chatbots giving the wrong answer: 0 votes (0%)

Bad actors creating false content: 1 votes (7.14%)

Environmental impacts: 5 votes (35.71%)

Labor impacts: 3 votes (21.43%)

Something else: 2 votes (14.29%)

I don't have any concerns about AI: 1 votes (7.14%)

Total Votes: 14

Artificial Intelligence: Concerns & Considerations

Concerns & Considerations

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